Process

CityArchRiver 2015 began as an international design competition organized by national park supporters, the design community and business and civic leadership from Missouri and Illinois.  The National Park Service provided the framework for change through its Fall 2009 General Management Plan.

The competition commenced in December 2009 and presented the opportunity of a lifetime for architects and designers to take one of America’s first urban national park sites and weave it into the fabric of the St. Louis region and both sides of the Mississippi River. Integral to the competition was the achievement of a balance between new ideas and the retention of the character-defining features of the site. All this was to be completed by October 28, 2015, the 50^th anniversary of the completion of the Gateway Arch. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates was announced as the winning team on September 21, 2010.

As we approach the 2013 ground-breaking for the Park Over the Highway – one of many components that make up the complete CityArchRiver 2015 plan – all partners have been hard at work finalizing project details, securing permits and ensuring the fulfillment of the project’s Design Goals.